Fountain brush



July 4, 1939- s. D. sl-:LwYN

FOUNTAIN BRUSH Filed Aug. 21, 193s kmmg g on 2n um wn hn mw QN SNN 3m,mm.

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Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICErl 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a fountain brush.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved fountain brushwhich is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and elfi- .5cient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fountain brushwhich is especially adapted for use in cleaning bottles, cans and likecontainers having relatively narrow lnecks and into which the arms andhands of the operator can not readily be inserted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel valve andcontrol device therefor for automatically turning on the `water supplyto the bristles of the brush when the latter is inserted into a bottle,can, or analogous container.

An additional .object of the present invention is to provide a. noveldevice for connecting the new brush to a water supply such, for example,20 as a hose or conduit and by means of which the operator of the brushis enabled to move the same freely and in any direction relative to thesaid hose or conduit.

A further object of the invention is to construct the new brush in sucha manner that the water supply to the bristles may be cut olf ccmpletelyso that the brush may be used simply as a brush and not as a fountainbrush, if so desired.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists' in `the novel combination and arrangement o-fparts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by references to the accompanyingdrawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal, vertical sectional view showing apreferred form of the new invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View on line 2 2 in Fig. 1,showing the water control valve embodied in the new brush and themounting of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view 45 on line 3 3 in Fig.2.

A preferred form of the new fountain brush is shown in the drawing, istherein generally indicated at I0, and comprises a substantiallycylindrical brush back or mounting II which has a 50 central and axiallyextending bore or passage I2 formed therein. 'Ihis passage or bore I2extends from the rear end I3 of the brush back II to a point adjacentto, but disposed rearwardly of' the front end of the same (Fig. l), andarranged in this bore or central passage I2 is the front end portion I4of a cylindrical tube I5, this front end portion I4 of the tube I5 beingprovided with radially arranged rows of apertures I6 Formed in the brushback or mounting II are apertures or passages I'I which extend from theMi peripheral surface I9 of the brush back or mounting I I tothe centralpassage or bore I2 therein, and these passages I1 open out onto theperiphery of the brush back or mounting II between the bristles I8, itbeing noted that the 10 bristles I8 at the front end of the brush backII are longer than the bristles at the rear of the same so that thebrush is given a somewhat ovoid form, that is, the brush is larger atthe front of the same than at the rear thereof, for a puri5 pose to bedescribed presently.

'Ihe tube I5 includes a rear end portion 20 and this portion isprojected through a central passage or bore 2l which is formed in ahandle 22 and this handle 22 has a screw threaded inner 20 end portion23 which is threaded onto a screw threaded end portion 24 of the brushback II so as to couple these two parts together.

Threaded onto the outer end portion of the handle -22 is a protectivesleeve 4I and mounted 25 on, that is, fixed to the outer or rear endportion of the tube 20, rearwardly of the handle 22, is a knurled ngergrip or ring 42 by means of which the tube 20 may be rotated, in amanner, and for a reason, to be described hereinafter.

The tube 20 has an enlarged rear end portion providing the socket 25 ofa ball and socket or universal point 26 which includes a ball portion 21and this ball portion 21 is formed as apart of a connection 28 which isprovided with a ceng5 trally arranged passage or bore 29.

Slidably mounted in the front end portion I4 of the tube I 5 is avalve-operating rod or plunger 30. This rod or plunger 3U has a frontend portion 3| which is slida'bly projected through a 40 passage 32which is formed in an extension 33 of the brush back II and formed onthe outer or `front end portion of the rod or plunger is a ball 34.

The valve-operating rod or plunger 30 is at- '45 tached, at its innerend, to a valve 35 which is pivotally mounted upon a shaft or pintle 36which is extended across the portion I4 of the tube I5, above thediametrical center of the latter (Fig. 2), this pintle 36 having its endportions vanchored in the walls of the portion I4 of the tube I5. Theends of the shaft or pintle 36 are swedged and project into an annulargroove 40 which is formed in the brush back II so as to ,55

permit the tube I--I4 to be rotated relative to the brush back ormounting II.

Arranged upon the pintle 36 is a coil spring 31 and this coil spring 3lhas an end portion or arm 38 which bears against the valve 35 so as tourge the same normally into closed position (Fig. 3) the valve 35 beingstopped or held in closed position, against the action of the spring 3l,by means of a boss or stop 39 which is formed on the inner side of theportion I4 of the tube I5.

Operation As stated hereinbefore, the new brush is especially adaptedfor use in conjunction with bottles, cans, and analogous containershaving relatively narrow necks into which it is difficult, if notimpossible, for the operator to insert his arm and hand so as tomanipulate the brush and control the operation of the valve whichsupplies the water to the bottles. In the use of the present brush thisdifficulty is obviated and eliminated by reason of the fact that inorder for the present brush to be used it is merely necessary for thesame to be inserted into the bottle, can or analogous container withwhich it may be used, until the bristles I8 at the front end of thebrush engage the bottom wall of the container, whereupon with a littlemore pressure, the ball end portion 34 of the valve-operating rod orplunger 3i] will engage the bottom wall of the container and willthereupon force the said valve-operating rod or plunger 3U rearwardly(right to left, Fig. 1). This movement of the valve-operating rod orplunger 30 will open the valve 35, pivoting the same upon its axis orpintle 36 (clockwise, Fig. 3), against the action of the resettingspring 31, whereupon water will flow through the tube I5-2-I4, past thethus opened valve 35, and thence through the ports or openings I6 intothe passages II from which it will emerge onto the peripheral surface ofthe brush back II and between the bristles I8 thereof. Accordingly, assoon as the pressure of the ball end portion 34 of the valve-operatingrod or plunger 30 is released, the tensioned resetting spring 3l willforce the valve 35 back into closed position (counterclockwise, Fig. 3)and in which position the said valve will be stopped by engagement withthe boss or stop 39. Likewise, this movement of the valve 35 into closedposition will return the valve-operating rod or plunger 30 to its normalposition, as in Fig. 1.

It will be noted, therefore, that the new brush is especially adaptedfor use in places such as bottles, cans, and like containers, which haverelatively restricted or narrow necks or openings and into which it isnot convenient or possible to insert both the brush and the operatorshand at the same time, for the purpose of manipulating the brush and thewater control Valve therefor, the necessity for this being eliminated,in the use of the present brush, by reason of the fact that the valve 35is automatically turned on when the brush is inserted into thecontainer7 and against the bottom wall thereof, and is automaticallyturned 01T when the brush is withdrawn from the same.

The particular ovoid form of the brush head and bristles, shown in Fig.1, has been found to be especially adapted for use in bottles and likecontainers having relatively narrow or restricted necks since thebristles I3 being longer at the front end of the brush than at the rearof the same, will yield readily when the brush is being inserted orpassed through the neck of a bottle or like container and will againstraighten out when the brush has been fully inserted into the containerso as to engage the inner surface or walls of the same.

The tube I5 is rotatably mounted in the brush back I I, and in thehandle 22, and may be rotated relative to the brush back II and handle22 by grasping the finger grip 24 and turning the latter, so as to alignthe apertures or ports I6 in the same with the passages II in the brushback II, or to move the said ports I6 out of registration with thepassages I'Iy if desired. This feature is useful as a secondary controlfor the water supply to the bristles I8 since if it is desired to usethe new brush just as a plain brush and independently of its fountainfeature lthis may be done by turning the finger grip 42 and the tube I5so as to move the ports I6 in the tube I5 out of registration with thepassages I'I.

The union or connection 28 may be attached to any suitable water supply,such as a hose or conduit, and by reason of the ball and socket oruniversal joint 23 the new brush may be moved in all directions,relative to the said hose or conduit, without interfering with the watersupply to the brush, thus enabling the operator to move the brushreadily, especially when cleaning small containers such as bottles andcans which are held in one hand or upon a support during the cleaningoperation.

It is to be noted that the front end portion 3| and the ball end portion34 of the Valve-operating rod or plunger 3E) are normally concealed bythe bristles I8 and do not in any way interfere with the packing orshipment or handling of the brush when the same is not in use.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. A fountain brush comprising a brush back mounting having bristlesmounted thereon and having a centrally arranged passage or bore formedtherein, said 'brush back having passages formed therein extending fromthe said central passage to the peripheral surface of the same, a tuberotatably mounted in the said central passage and having ports oropenings formed therein in registration with the said passages, a valvemovably mounted in the said tube for controlling the passage of fluidtherethrough, and a rod or plunger slidably mounted in the said tube foroperating the said valve, said rod having a rear and inner end portionoperatively connected to the said valve and having a front and outer endportion projecting forwardly of the said brush back or mounting andbeyond the front end of the same, a handle attached to the said brushback and having a portion of said tube rotatably mounted therein, and afinger grip mounted on said tube rearwardly of said handle for rotatingthe said tube relative to the said brush back and handle so as to movethe said ports into and out of registration with the said second-namedpassages.

2. A fountain brush comprising a brush back or mounting having bristlesmounted thereon and having a centrally arranged passage or bore formedtherein, said brush back having passages formed therein extending fromthe said central passage to the peripheral surface of the same, a

tube rotatably mounted in the said central passage for controlling thepassage of fluid therethrough, and a rod or plunger slidably mounted inthe said tube for operating the said valve, said rod having a rear andinner end portion operatively connected to the said valve and. having afront and outer end portion projecting forwardly of the said brush backor mounting and beyond the front end of the same, a handle attached tosaid brush back and having a portion of said tube rotatably mountedtherein, and a nger grip mounted on said tube rearwardly of said handlefor rotating the said tube relative to said brush back and handle so asto move the said ports into and out of registration with the saidsecond-named passages, and means including a universal joint attached tothe said tube rearwardly of said nger grip for connecting the said tubeto a source of water such as a hose or conduit, said joint having apassage formed therein so as to allow fluid to flow therethrough intothe said tube.

SAMUEL D. SELWYN.

